The controversy over Mark Zuckerberg’s integration of WhatsApp into Facebook just won’t die. In 2014, when Facebook was finalizing its $22 billion acquisition of the encrypted messaging app WhatsApp, it needed to get approval from EU antitrust regulators. To prep for the meeting with about a dozen representatives from the European Competition Commission, Acton said he was instructed by Facebook to tell EU regulators that there were no plans to merge Facebook’s and WhatsApp’s

The two companies, both founded out of Israel but headquartered in New York, describe the deal as a merger, but the combined entity will be called Taboola, with Taboola’s founder Adam Singolda securing the CEO slot. Further, Taboola is paying Outbrain investors $250 million in cash plus a 30% share of the combined companies. The merger is creating a company that will be valued at $2 billion, making the transaction value of this deal $850 million. Read more here